The story’s emphasis on personal dramas does detract from the picture’s purpose as an energetic action-thriller, gradually sapping momentum and suspense from the storyline, especially in a mishandled third act (the reason I gave it a rather harsh 3 stars in my initial review).

Skyfall is pretty much all you could want from a 21st Century Bond: cool but not camp, respectful of tradition but up to the moment, serious in its thrills and relatively complex in its characters but with the sense of fun that hasn’t always been evident lately. One thing’s certain: James Bond will return…

From the opening in Istanbul to the final siege shootout in the Scottish Highlands, this film is a supremely enjoyable and even sentimental spectacle, giving us an attractively human (though never humane) Bond. Despite the title, he is a hero who just keeps on defying gravity.

All hail though, to Craig. Together with Dench and several others in the new movie, he has given Bond some genuine acting heft and a few added layers. He can do the mortal superhero stuff, but he's pretty super at the acting lark too, making the character genuinely intriguing again. As intriguing as Connery? Decide for yourself.